


Demons and Ghosts

by janto321 (FaceofMer)



Category: Supernatural, Superwood - Fandom, Torchwood
Genre: Character Study, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 18:09:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/956144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaceofMer/pseuds/janto321
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Torchwood came into the warehouse the last thing they expected was a demon hunter that looked like a  ghost from the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demons and Ghosts

The warehouse was like virtually any other from the outside, gray, slightly dilapidated and windowless. The sky was threatening rain later. Tosh checked her device again as they approached it. “The reading definitely came from inside.”

“Okay,” said Jack, “you know the drill. Let’s move.”

The team spread out. Ianto stayed close by Jack as they took the main entrance and stepped carefully into the warehouse, gun in his hands. He frowned at the strange markings on the concrete floor. Jagged lines and strange whorls hinted at some ancient mysticism. At least he was fairly certain that was paint.

Jack stepped next to him, taking in the symbols as well. “There,” he said, nodding deeper into the cavernous building, dotted here and there with large shipping containers. The rest of the team moved around the warehouse and Ianto could hear a woman’s voice, chanting in what sounded like Latin.

They moved closer, cautiously. A large container blocked their path, so Jack nodded him to one side. Ianto took the right, letting Jack take the lead. They could hear another voice now, begging, and then a heart wrenching scream.

The team rushed forward just as a cloud of smoke hit the ceiling and dissipated. “Drop your weapon!” shouted Jack at the woman standing in front of a bound man in a chair.

With her back still to them, the woman raised her hands, showing she was unarmed. Ianto was aware he was kicking something on the floor. _Salt?_ Owen was already moving to check the man while Jack quickly patted the woman down. “What the hell is going on here?” He demanded, turning the woman to face him. She looked just like Lisa.

Ianto’s gun clattered to the floor. “No, you’re dead,” he said, taking a step back. Gwen took his arm. The strange woman looked at him with no recognition.

 Jack glanced at Ianto, then back to her. “What’s your name?” His voice was cold and hard, all business.

“Tamara,” her eyes darted to Ianto, curious.

“Well, Tamara, you want to tell us what just happened?” asked Jack

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Tamara turned her attention back to Jack, keeping her arms up. The tension in her body showed this wasn’t the first time she’d been surrounded or in a fight. Studying her, Ianto could practically hear her calculating the odds. That was a lot like Lisa too.

Jack met her gaze. “Try me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Demon. This man was possessed.”

Before Jack could respond, Owen spoke up. “Well whatever he was, he’s dead now, Jack.”

“You’re coming with us.”  Jack turned Tamara around to cuff her.

“I’ll take her,” said Gwen, looking at Ianto.

As soon as she was taken away, Jack crouched, picked up the dropped gun and put it in Ianto’s hand. “She’s not her.”

“But she looks…”

“I know.”

Ianto swallowed and smoothed his suit. Taking a breath he looked at the man in the chair. “Let’s get him back for autopsy.”

 

**

They got the body and the woman back to Torchwood with a minimum of fuss. Jack told Ianto to go home, but he vanished into the archives the minute Jack’s back was turned. For once, a guest didn’t seem all that impressed with the Hub as she passed through it.  They settled Tamara into the interrogation room while Tosh quickly pulled records. Jack scanned them, and then went to talk to her.

Flipping his chair around, Jack straddled it and leaned across the table. “Who are you?”

“I told you already. You’ve got my file there.” There was no fear or worry in her eyes.

Jack studied her. “You’ve been in America for ten years, why come back now?”

“My husband is dead, why not come back?” Tamara said flatly. “There’s things to fight here too.”

“Demons.” Jack was incredulous.

“Yes.” Her gaze never wavered from Jack’s. ”Demons killed my husband and my daughter. So I hunt them. That’s what I do.”

Jack shook his head. “We read an energy spike in that warehouse.”

Tamara leaned forward, dropping her voice to a near whisper. “Wait until you get your autopsy results.”

Jack got up, leaving her there as he stepped out of the room and locked the door. Ianto was standing just outside, still looking pale, but holding several files. “This isn’t the first report Torchwood has had like this,” he said. “Or the first person claiming to be a demon hunter.”

Taking the files, Jack looked at Ianto. “I thought I told you to go home.”

“We needed the records, sir.”

Jack sighed and looked them over as they walked towards the autopsy bay. “Demons…”

“The symbol on the floor, it’s called a devil’s trap. The salt also keeps demons at bay. Supposedly.”

“I’ve seen a lot of things in my day, but demons?”

Ianto shrugged. “Up until a few years ago I would have said there was no such thing as fairies.”

Jack shook his head again and handed him back the files. “What next, an angel in a trenchcoat?”

“Perhaps an immortal man in an RAF greatcoat,” answered Ianto.

Jack shot him a look and pushed open the door. “Owen, what do we have?”

Owen looked up at him. “This man died of a bullet in his gut.”

“So Tamara killed him?” Jack crossed his arms.

“No, looks to me like he died about four months back.”

“That’s impossible,” said Jack, coming down to look closer.

Owen pulled off his gloves and turned his screen. “I know what we heard, but, that bullet was in there a long time. No way someone could have survived that.”

Owen and Ianto both glanced at Jack. He put his hands up and shook his head. “Trust me, the universe isn’t big enough for two of me. Besides, a shot to the gut? I’d be back up in a few minutes.”

“Yeah, we know,” said Owen quietly, turning back to his work.

Jack squeezed his shoulder. “Just keep working. We need answers.”

**

A little later, Ianto unlocked the door, bringing in a tray of food and setting it down. Tamara watched him move stiffly, careful to keep his eyes on his task. “I remind you of someone.”

“My fiancé,” he admitted, adjusting the napkin.

She watched him. “I’m adopted, it’s not impossible.”

He straightened up and smoothed his suit coat. “She didn’t have any family. It doesn’t matter. You aren’t her.”

Tamara watched him go to the door. “I saw my husband forced to commit suicide by a bunch of demons.”

Ianto paused and glanced at her. “My… Lisa. Died fighting.”

“So did Issac. Then the demons tried to use him against me.”

Ianto swallowed, remembering all too well. “Enjoy your dinner.” He closed and locked the door behind him. Jack was standing at the end of the corridor, watching with arms crossed, blue eyes unreadable.

Taking another breath, Ianto walked to Jack and leaned in to kiss him gently. Jack remained as immovable as stone. “Go home, Ianto.”

“Sir.”

**

Ianto was exhausted by the time he got home. Going into his bedroom, he opened a drawer and pulled out a small box. Taking a breath, he sat on the bed and opened it. Mostly it was pictures of himself and Lisa, but there in the bottom was the engagement ring she’d once worn. He took it out and looked it, weighing it in his palm.

Setting the box aside, Ianto stretched out on his back stared at the ceiling, letting himself get lost in the memories. Part of him would always miss her, always wonder about the life they could have had, but there were so many other things now. Jack, first of all.

Rolling over, he set the ring on the bedside table. There would never be a wedding and children now. Jack wasn’t that sort of man, and even if he asked him, this Torchwood was too uncertain to even think about it. Not even bothering with undressing, Ianto rolled onto his side, back to the ring, knowing already his dreams would be nightmares full of clanging metal boots and screaming voices.

**

Early the next morning the team assembled in the conference room. “What do we have?” asked Jack.

“A man that should have been dead was apparently walking around until yesterday afternoon,” said Owen.

“I pulled the footage,“ said Tosh, “he’s been around Cardiff for a few months now. James Lucas. Reported missing from Bristol eight months ago.”

“And a woman who claims to be a demon hunter,” said Ianto, setting down some files and passing around much-needed coffee.

“Did James have any family?” asked Gwen.

“A brother,” said Tosh. “He’s the one that reported him missing. Police had no leads.”

Gwen looked at her coffee, then up at Jack. “And Tamara claims she was performing what, an exorcism?”

“I didn’t see any pea soup or crucifixes,” muttered Owen.

“There is history of it,” said Ianto, putting a hand on the files. “Lore, rituals, goes back thousands of years. I mean, we did fight Abaddon.”

“That wasn’t a demon,” said Jack, leaning on the table.

“Look,” said Gwen. “What if she’s telling the truth? She didn’t kill James.” She glanced at Owen for confirmation.

Owen cocked his head in agreement.

“What about the energy spike, Toshiko?” asked Jack.

“I haven’t been able to trace or replicate it. Except for our records there’s no trace it was ever there.”

“Okay.” Jack stepped back. “Then there’s nothing we can do. We let her go. And keep an eye on her.”

The rest of the team shared a look amongst themselves.

“What?”

“She’s heavily armed,” said Ianto. “I found her cache in her car.”

“Well, I can’t imagine you’d want to go fighting monsters with wooden stakes. That has to be so fifteenth century,” Jack stroked his chin. “We keep an eye on her, like I said.”

There was the scraping of chairs as the team got up to leave. “Ianto, stay here,” said Jack.

Gwen patted his arm and followed the others out, closing the door behind her.

“Did you sleep last night?” asked Jack.

Ianto found a spot to look at on the floor just behind Jack. “Tried to.”

Walking over, Jack cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes. “You stay here with me tonight.”

Swallowing, Ianto nodded.

Jack leaned in and kissed him tenderly. “Come on, we need to set up the tracing programs before we set her loose.”

**

Tamara looked up as Jack came into the room. He set down a cup of water and a pill. “We can’t have you remembering us. Take this, you’ll forget the last twenty-four hours.”

“And then you let me get back to my job?”

Jack nodded. “Still don’t know about your whole demon thing. But we can’t find any trace of the energy spike.”

“It’s not just demons you know,” she said picking up the cup and the pill. “There are all sorts of monsters out there.”

“Oh that I did know,” said Jack, watching her swallow the pill. In a moment her head dropped.

**

Somewhere outside of Cardiff, Tamara raised her head. Smiling a little, she spat out the pill. Stretching her neck she got up and climbed around under her car until she found the device they’d planted there. _Stupid Torchwood_. With that removed she climbed back behind the wheel and took off, headed for parts unknown.

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to awabubbles for beta work! And Cuda for posting the gif set that sparked this idea.
> 
> You can find me at [merindab.tumblr.com.](http://merindab.tumblr.com/)


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